A while back, we mentioned that Trace Lofts on 12th Ave would soon be home to the unfortunately named "Mexican-inspired" restaurant Barrio. Well, don't worry Eastside, you're getting a ghetto too! Purple Cafe and Wine Bar owners Larry and Tabitha Kurofsky have announced that they'll be opening a second Barrio in downtown Bellevue sometime next year.......

"Bellevue Square" by Awungfoo. Those squares....those familiar squares! Bell Square, you have generously offered abundant retail and restaurant options to two entire generations now. We remember back when you still housed the Bon Marche, back when we could still get chicken pot pie at Marie Callender's; our parents remember you back when Nordstrom was known best for shoes and a body could still shop at Frederick & Nelson. In middle school, you more than......

photo courtesy of Seattlest Brad. James Taylor with Arnold McCuller. Lou Marini plays in background. Seattlest Brad has zero inclination to pursue a career as a music reviewer. But because our editor is so nice when she's arm-twisty, here goes: On the coldest night of the summer, James Taylor and his "Band of Legends" wrapped up a two-night stop at the Chateau Ste. Michelle winery in Woodinville Tuesday night. The two-set, nearly three-hour show featured......

We love a good drink special, so imagine our delight when we came across a full-page ad in the Weekly for a big ol' happy hour next Wednesday. Join us for a special Seattle Weekly Happy Hour on June 4, when three dozen bars extend their specials to celebrate the release of our new Seattle Weekly Happy Hour Guide! Come celebrate and pick up a copy of your own! Sure, it's a Weekly-sponsored event......

The Eastside Ben & Jerry’s has a conundrum. The downtown Kirkland development of Lake Street Place is forcing the store to vacate its waterfront location during the upcoming summer months. This puts an obvious damper in the store’s business plan. On numerous summer days, we have walked past a long line of ice cream addicts salivating out the Ben & Jerry’s door. How will the downtown Kirkland staple re-coup its forecasted summer losses? Find......

Corteo is one of the most dynamic and creative artistic exploits of body movement that you can see in the United States. You can still buy tickets here and performances continue until May 4 at Marymoor Park in Redmond. In our interview with Alison Crawford, Corteo senior artistic director, we asked her to share her favorite Corteo scene. If we had been asked the same question, our answer would be, without a doubt, the......

In January, Governor Gregoire announced her support to toll the 520 bridge. Today, Gregoire announced lawmakers have approved the aggressive strategy to toll the 520 bridge to help finance the cost of building a new floating bridge across Lake Washington. The toll amounts have not been finalized. The new bridge will cost $4 billion, and commuters will pay for half. According to the Seattle Times, the toll could be as much as $7 each......

The Puget Sound area boasts a blossoming theatre and art culture with a variety of up-and-coming artists. It keeps us very busy, and this weekend is no exception, when Seattle Opera’s talented Young Artists are presenting Puccini's Gianni Schicchi and Ravel's Enchanted Child. The two one-act productions open this evening at the Theatre at Meydenbauer Center in downtown Bellevue. Photo from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi with Eugene Chan (Marco), Ani Maldjian (Ciesca), Noah Baetge (Rinuccio), and......

It's an election year, which means it's time again for Democrats in this part of Western Washington to get all excited about the opportunity to flip the 8th Congressional District into our column. That's right. For the next few months, we will be told to believe that the Eastside district's trend toward a more liberal stance will be completed this year and that this time, Microsoft Millionaire Darcy Burner will actually beat Rep. Dave "I'm......

From the buzz circulating the budding career of Josh Blue, we thought his Saturday evening performance at the Kirkland Performance Center would be full of self-deprecating and occasionally awkward humor. It was not. Let’s start with the facts. Blue has Cerebral Palsy. He is a stand-up comedian. He is funny - no, he is hilarious. He is a Nike-sponsored striker for the U.S. Paralympic soccer team. Finally, he feels compelled to use anything with......

Evergreen State College alumni and fourth-season winner of Last Comic Standing, Josh Blue is coming to the Kirkland Performance Center (KPC) this Saturday. We're looking forward to an evening of self-deprecating humor, as Blue’s comedy stems from his personal experiences of living with cerebral palsy. Blue hopes to dispel stereotypical myths about the "disabled" through stand-up comedy and what he calls "reverse teasing." (His comedy routine is not recommended for children under 16 years old,......

With all of the people that live/work on the Eastside, it is really surprising to not find more beer spots to explore. Granted, we probably haven't found everything worth visiting, but it just seems there is plenty of room for more good beer on the Eastside. Below is a summary of what you can enjoy on the other side of the lake. Breweries: Rock Bottom Bellevue is about the only place if you want......

It was a week of bizarre, embarassing headlines at DCist. The trial of the local administrative law judge who sued his cleaners for $54 million over a pair of missing pants left everyone shaking their heads. Then the capital city was nearly brought to its knees, twice, by poop. Finally D.C. contemplated taking Vermont's place as a state and marveled at the GOP lessons learned from the "Macaca Moment." Due to some sad shootings......

Sunday. Usually, a quiet, contemplative day in the Blogosphere. But not here in the Ist-a-Verse. Nonono! Just look below and see all of the wild and crazy stuff our staffs are up to. In Austin, bands are beginning to confirm for SXSW and the rumor mill is up and running. Good thing, too, because we all know how much Austinites love live performances. Austin also found itself in the national spotlight, with Longhorn Legend......

The man who shot Nicole duFresne on New York's Lower East Side was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole this week. Nicole made a name for herself in Seattle's theatre community before doing what promising artists tend to do when they feel they've outgrown Seattle. She moved to New York. There she worked as an actress and a waitress until one night she, along with her finace and some friends, came......

From the A.P., via WNBC-TV: NEW YORK -- A mugger who killed aspiring actress and playwright Nicole duFresne on a Lower East Side street was convicted of first-degree murder on Thursday. Rudy Fleming faces life in prison without the possibility of parole when he is sentenced on Nov. 30. He was convicted on nine counts, including murder, robbery and weapon possession. The defense contended that the gun went off by accident. Jurors, who began their......

Celebrate Ben Franklin's 300th birthday with the Bikini Bandits and Phillyist! (NSFW). Speaking of Mr. Franklin, send in a picture of Ben (or Ed Rendell) with a red tongue and win a free t-shirt. And they might have the next YearlyKos in Philly. You know who's going to be upset about those Bikini Bandits? The Houston school system. Houstonist also reports on some redevelopment shenanigans over a landmark theater. LAist's sex advice column on......

Redfin offers the ultimate power tool for residential real estate research in Seattle and the East Side. The tool uses a standard real estate property search form but the properties found are displayed graphically as highlighted areas on a GoogleMaps-style satellite map. The map can be zoomed in and out and dragged around. You have to see it to understand. New listings often have a linked gallery. Seattlest has spent way too much time......

Gothamist has some words on the statements being released in connection with the murder of Seattle actor and playwright Nicole duFresne in NYC. There's actually some decent reading in the comments of that post (as opposed to the comments under most Gothamist posts relating to duFresne). From the New York Times: In the statement, Ms. Evans says that she, Mr. Fleming and a group of friends, including Tatianna McDonald, 14, who has also been charged......

Seattlest hasn't made it to a Seattle Weblogger Meetup yet - in fact we just missed the latest one last Wednesday. However, we love the weblogger community and have fun checking out the details of what happens when online characters hang out in real life. We signed up for the March meetup and will hopefully be able to attend next time to meet more Seattle bloggers. Anita Rowland has been running the Seattle Weblogger Meetup......

NYPD has charged five teenagers in connection with the murder of Nicole duFresne on the Lower East Side. A murder weapon has apparently been recovered as well, although police are still looking for two females they believe to be connected to the case. It's becoming clear that duFresne's death capped what had turned into a spree of LES muggings. Police believe the group responsible for Nicole's murder had earlier held up and eventually pistol-whipped an......

The PI is reporting that Seattle actress and playwright, Nicole duFresne, was shot and killed during a robbery attempt in New York City where she had lived for two years. From the PI: Nicole duFresne, 28, had just left a bar in a trendy section of the Lower East Side with her fiance and another couple early Thursday when they were approached by four or five men. Witnesses told investigators that one of the......